TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 November 1940, Page 3

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE Beaulivre and Australian Sind Book (BY “THE GRAFTER.") The owner of Eeaulivre, Mr.E. C. Harnett, proposes to take steps to have his horse entered in the Australian Stud Book,'for which at present he is ineligible, says the “Sydney Morning Herald.” Mr Harnett will apply under the regulations which authorise the Keeper of the S.ud Book to include horses which in the opinion of tne committee should be included by reason of outstanding performances. However, there are good grounds for the inclusion of Passbook, dam of Eeaulivre, in the Australian Stud Book, apart from that horse’s record, and it is likely that her name will appear lin the next published volume, at least in the appendix. Members of the Sharkie family, to which Passbook belongs, have appeared in previous issues of the Australian Stud Book, as well as in the appendix. They are given full status ‘in the New Zealand Stud Book.

For example, in Volume IV. appear the breeding and slud returns of Rose d’Armour, a grand-daughter of Sharkie and her foalings were again accepted in the following volume. In the latter issue also appeared the returns of Maid of the Mountain, sixth dam of Beaulivre. None of the foals of Rose d'Armour, or Maid of the Mountain, so far as can bo found from a search of the Stud Books of the two countries, came to Australia, and when the publisher of the Australian Slud Book, Mr Archibald Yuille, discontinued the inclusion of returns of New Zealand mares in 1900, when the first volume of the New Zealand Stud Book was published, official interest in the family apparently waned.

The first purge of the Stud Book took place in 1915. with Volume XL. the second published by the committee, set up by the Australian Jockey Club, and the Victoria Racing Club, who had taken over the responsibility and liability for its continuation from Mr A. Yuille. No fewer than 194 mares were then excluded from the main returns and placed in the appendix. A prominent Stud Book official stated last week that the intention was probably to discourage studmasters breeding from such mares, but in Volume XVIII. there are still 117 mares included in the appendix. Inclusion in the appendix, instead of the Stud Book itself, is not a bar to stud success.

Hard To Understand. The Victoria Racing Club recently reduced the prize money for the Melbourne Cup from £lO.OOO to £7500. Yet a Melbourne newspaper a week or two ago prophesied that if the weather is tine the record attendance of 120.000 (in Spearfelt’s year, 1926) is certain to be broken, because racing is enjoying a boom in Victoria just now. During August totalisator turnover in Victoria jumped from £173.000 last year to £253.000. Esperance Bay. Esperance Bay opened the season with an unplaced clYort in lhe Trial Hurdles at lhe Grand National meeting, but since then he has registered four winns in succession and has collected £ll2O for Mr T. C. Ball. Esperance Bay. who is trained at Blenheim by W. A. Watson, is by Sky Blue (Skyrocket —Ladas Maid) from Bissac. Bissac is by Bisognc. a fine weight carrier, from Vestalis (Martian —Ingleneak). Sky Blue was an imported horse with a fine pedigree, but he did not achieve much fame as a sire, although Captain’s Gilt and Skvrena have been usefill.

Jockeys and Military Service. Some jockeys in Australia may be exempted from compulsory military training on the ground that camp life would so increase their weight as to affect their potential earning capacity as riders for the rest of their life. “In three months' camp training men often put on 101 b or more in weight,” a military authority said. “The effect on a light-weight jockey is obvious. It may handicap him professionally for life.”

Mr Kemball's Retirement. Mr W. R[ Kemball (formerly of Masterton) who for many years had been one of the biggest owners in New Zealand and Australia —he probably races more horses than any other owner—told a Melbourne writer that the reason why he had decided to sell the whole of his racing stock is that he feels that after 30 years on the turf he needs a spell. “There is-no other reason behind rny retirement from racing,” said Mr Kemball. “simply I am a little weary of the game. I have no stud stock at all, having sold the mares I possessed some years ago.” Mr Kemball, unlike some owners who threaten retirement, does not consider’ that his retirement will make any difference to the sport. "There are plenty of owners to carry on,” he said, “and my team will not be missed.” But there are not too many non-betters like Mr Kemball among big owners.

Should Soon Win. Glen Birman is a four-year-old gelding by Mullaboden out of Glitter Box, and promises to get on the winning list in the near future. He finished in impressive style in the Jackson Memorial Stakes to bo beaten by a head only by Wings of Song. A Good Pair. It is not generally known that Mr Stewart was Ihe under-bidder for Ecaulivre when that horse was sold at auction to Mr E. C. Harnett. Mr Stewart was prepared to pay much more than the 2900gns at which Beaulivre fell to the bid of Mr Harnett. “Of course, Mr Harnett would probably have gone much higher than that figure. but he secured him at the price because my bid of 300gns was missed by the auctioneer, strange as it may seem” said Mr Stewart. “My bid of 2800gns was raised to 2900gns by Mr Harnett. I had been sitting in the front seats, but got up and moved to be back behind Mr Harnett. When he bid, I raised my hand signifying JOOOgns. The auctioneer did not sec me. It had been presumed that when I left, my scat I had retired from the contest. I raised my hand again, but the hammer fell. That is not a hard-luck story ” added Mr Stewart. "Mr Harnett was evidently determined to buy while I did have a set price, although it was a good deal in excess of 2900gns. Still, I think I would have had a lot of fun racing two horses like Eoanlivra and Beau Vite."